


The Time Traveler's Replacement

by TimAndJava



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2018-10-30 13:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimAndJava/pseuds/TimAndJava
Summary: Something happened to Jason Todd when he entered that Lazarus pit and rose from the dead. And that something might just have to do with time travel, Timothy Drake, and a whole lot of monkey business.





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was inspired by "The Time Traveler's Wife." It's cheesy, but I absolutely adore it, and I've been wanting to write a 'verse starring Jay and Tim for a while now. This is my first posted fic in a long time (and the others are posted on other websites), so bear with me! I don't know how long this bad boy will be, or how often I'll update. Perhaps I'll know later. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

Jason Peter Todd’s return from the dead is just about as pleasant as it sounds.

As he is thrust into the lazarus pit, his skin burns, and tingles, as if in nervous anticipation. When the whole process is said and done, Jason is alive once more. But something is off. He didn’t know what, and he didn’t know why, but he rose from the dead with a sudden and pressing need to return to his birthplace-- Gotham City.

At first, Jason wanders the dark, dank streets of his gruesome hometown in silence, and in confusion. He had no sense of direction, no purpose, no reason for being there, except for that strange pull in his gut that seemed to say home home home.

So Jason goes home. He goes to Crime Alley. 

-

Jason rents a crappy, hole-in-the-wall apartment from his mom’s old landlady. Old Mrs. Garcia doesn’t seem to remember him from his childhood, but that’s fine with Jason. His goal is to lay low for a while, avoid the wrath of the Bat and company. He smokes. He smokes a lot. Sometimes he downs a beer or two. Or five. Or ten. On good days, he reads tattered editions of Hemingway novels and whistles while he washes the dishes. On bad days, he curls up on the dirty shag carpeting and tries not to wretch while he relives the horrors of the lazarus pit.

He manages to lay low for a few months.

But then his plan to stay of the Bat’s radar goes to utter shit. Because Jason heard that Batman has a new Robin. 

-

Jason is in a sleazy nightclub on the west side of the alley when he gets the call. The call to tell him he’s been replaced.

He was ordering another shot at the bar, chatting up the scantily clad bartender when his phone went off. He was alarmed, as his phone is an outdated flip phone with no contacts in it. Dead men don’t take phone calls.

An unidentified number pops up on the screen. Fighting his instincts, he answers it.

“Hello,” Jason rasps.

“Jason,” a distinctly female voice responds, “you know who this is. And we need you to come home.”

“I don’t know any Jason,” he insists.

“Right,” said the voice, “and I don’t know any Barbara. Come home, or I’m sending Batman and Robin to come looking for you. I won’t ask twice.”

“You’ll send who, Barbara?” Jason questions with a chuckle, “Batman and Robin? Sweetheart, didn’t you hear? Robin’s dead!”

“No,” Barbra replies, “you’re dead. Or you were, anyways. It’s been a few years, you know. Batman still has a Robin, Jason. We both know he still needs one. Someone to-”

Jason cuts Barbara off in a jealous rage. “Bullshit,” he says. “Don’t send the bat and the brat, I’ll find them myself.”

“Jason, wait, shit shit hey don’t hang u-” 

Jason slams the end call button and shoves the phone back in his pocket. He now has a mission, a purpose, a reason for being. He knows why his gut told him to come home home home. 

He’s back in Gotham to find his replacement, and make him suffer.


	2. All Too Well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never defined how old everyone was! Tim is 18. Jason died at 16, this is five years later, so he's technically 21. Dick hasn't been featured yet, but both he and Barbara are in their mid twenties. And Barbara is already paralyzed and playing an "oracle" type role, even if the bats don't call her that.
> 
> That's all for now! Enjoy chapter 2!

Jason doesn’t search out the dynamic duo the night he gets the call. That would be much too predictable. 

He waits four days, four agonizing, long days, before he goes on a hunt. He rests up and prepares himself both mentally and physically. He ups his cardio, calls it quits on the drinking for awhile, and reminds himself that he’s ready for anything the bat or the bird throw at him. He buys a new gun for good measure. Better safe than dead. 

Jason might have told himself he was ready, he might have even believed he was. He just didn’t know how wrong he was.

-

Jason leaves his apartment at just past two in the morning. He remembers all of Bruce’s old patrol routes, and does his best to avoid them. Tonight, he just wants Robin.

After a few hours of searching, Jason finally finds what he’s looking for. He spies from the ground, in civilian clothes, watching a short, lithe boy wearing a Robin costume sits alone on a rooftop. He’s looking up at the stars with his finger pressed to his ear, presumably talking to someone on his comm link. 

Presumably talking to Barbara, Jason realizes. Barbara knew he was coming, knew what he was planning. 

Jason had forgotten. Barbara knows almost everything about everything.

With his plan ruined and the kid aware of who and where he is, Jason throws caution to the wind and looks up toward the rooftop.

“Hey kid,” Jason shouts, “I just want to talk. That’s all.”

Robin doesn’t speak, he just gives Jason a thumbs up signal, and point to the fire escape that snakes up the side of the building.

Jason heads up the fire escape, like Robin had wanted him to. He doesn’t have a plan now. If he kills the kid, Barbara will know, and he’ll be in trouble with the bat. And Jason has no interest in seeing his old mentor.

He climbs to the top of the fire escape, and steps onto the roof top. Robin hasn’t moved, he still has his feet dangling over the edge of the roof. He certainly doesn’t look like he’s ready for any sort of combat.

Suddenly, Robin turns around. He flashes Jason a brilliant grin, as if he’s happy to see him.

Which is strange. Because Jason has no idea who the kid is.

Robin hops off from his perch on the rooftop, and confidently strides towards Jason.

“Jason Peter Todd,” Robin says with a smirk, “it’s been much too long, darling. How old are you tonight?”

Jason’s puzzled look gives away his thoughts. 

“What the hell do you mean, it's been too long?” Jason asks in an aggressive tone. “Last I checked, we’d never met, darling. I’m just pissed you stole my costume. I don’t know why you’re flirting with me.”

Robin’s face falls, and he looks hurt.

“What,” Robin begins, “you really don’t know who I am? Or are you just pulling my leg again, Jay?”

“Don’t call me Jay,” Jason responds.

“Well shit,” Robin whispers, “then this is all terribly awkward, isn’t it.” He smiles up at Jason again, as if something is amusing.

“Sorry if I don’t get the joke,” Jason says, “but I still have no idea what’s going on here. I came here with the intention of hurting you, but it looks like I’ll need some answers, first.”

“Look, Jason,” Robin begins, “something in that lazarus pit messed you up. Big time. More than you think it did. And I’m directly connected to that lazarus pit situation. I’ve known you for a long time, even if you haven’t known me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,”Jason insists.  
“Sure it does, Jason,” Robin says, “you just haven’t experienced it yet. You told me a long time ago that the first time it happened, it hit you like a truck. Maybe that’s a clue that can help you.”

“You’re talking in riddles,” Jason replies, “I don’t have time for this bullshit.”

“Of course you don’t,” Robin says sadly, “but you will soon. I’m Tim, by the way. Nice to meet you, Jason.”

Tim presses a quick kiss to Jason’s cheek, pulls out his grapple gun, and jumps off the roof top.


	3. Falling Down

Tim was right. It hits Jason like a truck. Literally.

-

Jason is out the street late one night, a few weeks after that fateful meeting with Tim on the rooftop. He;s hardly thought of the boy wonder’s words since then, as he’s been distracted, trying to clean up one of the minor drug cartels in the alley,

But Tim’s words come to the forefront of Jason’s mind when he steps out into the street that night, and a truck comes barreling towards him.

“You told me a long time ago that the first time it happened, it hit you like a truck. Maybe that’s a clue that can help you.”

Jason screams, and everything goes black.

-

Jason expects to wake up in a cold, sterile hospital room, probably in a starchy hospital gown, with a pissed of Barbara Gordon looking down on him.

His expectation is starkly different from his reality.

Jason wakes up on the floor. On what floor, he isn’t quite sure. He is sure of one thing, though.He’s in the same clothes he was wearing when the accident happened. 

Jason sits up, startled. He inspects his surroundings with the carefully trained gaze of Batman’s former protege. 

Upon careful inspection, Jason realizes he’s in a child’s bedroom. He sits to the left of an unmade, twin sized bed. Batman sheets peek out from under a bulky, plaid comforter, and a tattered stuffed rabbit sits near the foot of the bed. Across from the bed is a chest of drawers, an alarm clock and a few Star Trek action figures. The walls are covered in nature photos, and the ceiling is plastered with plastic glow-in-the-dark stars.

There is only one thing missing from the bedroom-- a child.

Jason glances at the alarm clock. It’s just past three in the morning, which explains why it’s so dark., It doesn’t explain why the kid isn’t here, though. Jason figures that the kid is just in the bathroom, which should give him just enough time to make a hasty exit through the window.

Jason stands up and heads towards the window, just as the bedroom door creaks open to reveal a short, thin, raven-haired boy who couldn’t be any older than ten.The boy lets out a startled gasp, takes a quick step into the room, and closes the door.

“Who are you,” the boy begins in an oddly confident tone, “and why are you in my bedroom?”

“Shh,” Jason hisses, “keep your voice down. I’m not going to hurt you. In fact I don’t even know how I got here.”

“Yeah right,” the boy says. “That sounds suspiciously like what a robber would say if he didn't want to get to get in trouble.” He squints at Jason with his hands on his hips, as if he actually poses a threat,

“A little attitude, I see,” Jason remarks. “Look, kid I’m not going to play any tricks. I ran into some trouble earlier, and I ended up here, somehow. We might as well introduce ourselves. I don’t know what’s going on either, but maybe we could figure it out together. I’m Jason.”

Jason sticks out his hand for a handshake. The boy stares at is, hesitates, and then takes a cautious step toward Jason. He crosses the room, and grasps Jason hand. The boy gives it a firm shake, and then stares down at his feet.

“I’m Timothy,” the boy says, “but my friends call me Tim. And I believe you. You seem confused, maybe even a little injured. I won’t wake my parents unless you do something weird.”

Jason’s heart skips a beat. Tim? Hit me like a truck? Is this what Robin had meant on that rooftop?

“Well, um, Tim,” Jason starts, “could you maybe tell me your age, and the date? I was in a car accident, I think my head is a little messed up.”

“Sure, I guess,” Tim says. “It’s September 23rd, 2008. And I’m nine.”

“Well, shit,” Jasonn says, “I think both of our lives just got a whole lot weirder, Tim.”


	4. Genesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never really specified when the "present" time was! The "present" part of the story occurs in the year 2016. Happy reading :-)

“A whole lot weirder?” Tim asks Jason. “What do you mean by that?”

Jason bites his lip, and then says “It’s complicated, kid. I’m not quite sure what’s happening, either. I guess all I can say is that I’m not from around here.”

 

“Liar,” Tim accuses. “You’ve got a Gotham accent, just like me! You’ve got to be from Gotham, otherwise you’d sound different.”

Jason chuckles. “You’re pretty sharp, kid,” he says. “But I didn’t mean I’m not from this place. I mean I’m not from this time.” 

Tim raises an eyebrow in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he mumbles. “Time travel isn’t real. That sounds like a stupid plot from a Star Trek episode!”

“You’re one to call Star Trek stupid, kid” Jason quirks, “as you’ve got Trekkie crap all over the place.”

“It’s not crap,” Tim yells, “and don’t call me kid!”

"Shhh," Jason hisses. "I'm Sorry, Tim. I didn’t mean to insult you or your stuff. It’s just...I’m really confused. I’m not supposed to be here, and I have no clue how to get back to where I’m supposed to be.”

Jason lets a weary sigh escape him, and sits down on the edge of Tim’s unmade bed.

“Well,” Tim begins timidly, “maybe you could tell me what happened, so we can figure it out together?” Tim sits down on the bed next to Jason, and looks up at him in nervous anticipation. 

“Sure, Tim,” Jason says with a smile. 

“I guess I’ll begin at the beginning. I met you in my time a few weeks ago. You already knew who I was, but I had no idea who you were. You said I’d understand all of it later, and that the first time ‘it’ happened, it would hit me like a truck. And it did.”

Tim cocks his head to the side in confusion. “That’s all pretty vague, you know,” Tim begins. “I might be more helpful if I knew the whole story.”

“I think that you knowing the whole story might make things worse,” Jason says slowly. “If I really am a time traveler and this isn’t just some weird fever dream, then we could mess up the time stream, or something.”

“Oh, yeah,” Tim says thoughtfully, “don’t want to end up with a time paradox or something. If this is real, I mean.”

“Exactly,” Jason says with a laugh. “All I really know is that I know you in the future. And you seem to know me really well in the future. So this must happen multiple times.”

“Wow,” Tim says, voice full of awe, “I somehow get to be friends with a time traveler! Cool!”

“Cool, indeed,” Jason says. Jason turns to look at Tim’s alarm clock. It read 3:25 AM. Jason had been in Tim’s room for about twenty minutes.

“The thing is, kid, I don’t know how long I have here, I mean I must get back to my own time eventually,” Jason says.

“I told you, don’t call me ki-”

Suddenly, Jason’s world goes dark again.


	5. Full Circle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens. Also, I posted this on mobile, so I apologize if the formatting is wonky! And as always, thanks for reading :-)

Jason springs from the darkness and realizes he's back in his own time. He's standing on the opposite side of the street he'd been trying to cross before the truck hit him.

There's no truck in sight. Nor are there any other people around. No one for Jason to ask if they'd seen what happened to him.

Needless to say, Jason is unsettled.

So he does what any time traveling ex-bat kid would do. He goes home, and calls Barbara Gordon.

-

Barbara picks up on the first ring.

"Jason," she begins, "I have to say, I'm a bit surprised to hear from you."

"And I'm a little surprised to need to call you, sweetheart," Jason responds snappily.

"Calm down, Jaybird," Barbara says, "were all friends here. What did you call for? Trouble with the bat?"

"No, surprisingly enough," Jason retorts. "Trouble with the bird."

"Aw yes," Barbara says with a chuckle, "I see you and bird boy got along quite well that night on the rooftop. I've never known you to be involved with your enemies. What gives?"

"We're not..." Jason hesitates "...involved. Not yet, anyways."

"Not yet, hmm?" Barbara laughs into the phone.

"Shut up, Babs," Jason bites, as his tone turns serious. "I need your help. I need to talk to my replacement."

"Come on, Jay," Barbara pleads, "you know it's not like that. Tim's situation is unique. There's no need to be bitter about it, we still love you too, and everyone wants you to come ho-"

Jason cuts her off and says "Babs, that isn't why I called. I need Tim. Just Tim. Can you give him my number and tell him it's urgent?"

"Yeah, Jay," Barbara says quietly, "I can do that. But the offer still stands, we miss you here, kid."I

"Just give him my number, Barbara," Jason says, "and don't call me kid."


	6. Anna Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I posted this on mobile, so I apologize if the formatting is wonky! Enjoy :-)

Tim calls Jason about an hour after Jason called Barbara. Much like Barbara, Jason picks up on the first ring.

"Tim?" Jason asks timidly. 

"Hello again, Jason," Tim responds. "Must not get too many phone calls if you guessed it was me, huh?"

"Well, I am supposed to be dead," Jason bites dryly, "most people don't think to leave a voicemail for the dead."

"Valid point, dead man walking," Tim quips back with a chuckle. "So I have a suspicion as to why you called, but I think I'll let you explain yourself."

"You were right, Tim," Jason begins, "it hit me like a truck."

Jason then relays his time traveling take to Tim in its entirety, starting with the accident and ending with his waking up in the present.

"I just don't really understand what's happening," Jason says in a frustrated voice. "How is any of this possible? And does it happen again?"

"I don't really know how it happens," Tim explains, "but we've always assumed it had something to do with the Lazarus pit. I guess coming back from the dead has some interesting side effects."

"Okay, so the pit fucked me up," Jason laments. "But you didn't answer my other question. This happens again, right? I didn't just meet you once when you were tiny and then pop up in the present?"

"Yeah, it happens again," Tim says quietly into the phone. "It happens lots of times. For a long time."

"For a long time?" Jason questions.

"Yeah," Tim responds, "A thirty version of you was here a few weeks ago. It was the oldest I'd seen you in years."

"Jesus," Jason says, bewildered. "How was I?"

"Um, good I guess," Tim says, "but a little pissed off."

"Pissed off?" Jason questions. "I mean it sounds like me, but why exactly was I so pissed? Something bad happen in the future or something?"

"This is kind of funny, from my perspective," Tim says, "but probably a little unsettling from yours. Do you really want to know?"

"Yes," Jason says sternly.

Tim let's out a breathy little laugh and hesitates before he speaks again.

"You were pissed off because you time hopped to the past on our wedding day."


	7. Hard Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More mobile uploads, apologies for formatting, etc etc. also, sorry about how inconsistent updates are. Sometimes I love this story, other days the plot escapes me. As always, thanks for reading :-)

"Our wedding day?" Jason whispers into the phone.

"Yeah," Tim responds with a laugh. "I'm sure it sounds insane from your perspective, but it makes much more sense from mine."

An awkward silence follows Tim's statement. Eventually, Jason gains the courage to speak again.

"So," Jason says awkwardly, "we're like a thing, at some point?"

Tim laughs again, this time even snorting into the phone. "No, Jason," he says sarcastically, "we actually hate each other in the future and got married out of spite. Yes we're a thing, Jaybird."

"Well, sorry for being surprised," Jason bites back. "Who knew I'd end up involved in a time traveling romance with a random stranger?"

"Ouch, Jay," Tim says quietly. "I'm sorry, but this is the way things are for you. For us. You time jump, and it's always to me. Always. That has to mean something."

Jason remains silent for a time, and just breathes into the phone. He shakes his head, and cards his fingers through his hair. 

"I've got to go, Tim," Jason says gently. "This is a lot. A lot for me to handle, okay?"

"I get it," Tim says confidently, though Jason can hear the twinge of hurt in his voice. "It's weird. I'm weird. We're weird. Some day, you'll be cool with the weirdness of it all. Call me when you are, okay?"

"Sure," Jason whispers, and then hangs up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DCU/comic book tumblr is comicbutcute :-) come on over and check it out!


	8. Just Another Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed this universe. The only thing that gave me the energy to go on, however, was a kind comment. Thank you, you should know who you are. Thank you for everything.

Jason lasts only a few hours before he gives into the strange feeling in his chest and calls Barbara.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," he mumbles as the dial tone sounds.

After a time that felt like years goes by, Barbara picks up the phone.

"Jason!" Barbara almost shouts into the phone. "I didn't think you'd call again!"

"Well, you thought wrong, Barbie," Jason responds promptly. "I have a few questions to ask you."

"Alright, shoot," Barbara says after a moment's pause. "As long as you don't need to know anything about Dick, I should have you covered."

Jason raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? What happened to golden boy?"

Barbara sighed. "Long story, I'll tell you sometime. But in person, not over the phone."

"Fine, fine," Jason says, feigning disinterest. "I didn't want to talk about him anyways."

"Well then," Barbara says suspiciously, "what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about Tim," Jason answers.

"Jesus," Barbara says with a giggle, "you two must have hit it off. One rooftop meeting plus a phone call or two and the kid already told you his name? So much for secret identities."

"Wait," Jason says, confused. "He hasn't said anything about me?"

"Well, no," Barbara answers. "Though we haven't had the monthly Jason briefing yet."

Well, that couldn't be good. If Barbara didn't know about Tim and Jason's connection, then nobody did. Barbara knew almost everything. Everything but this, apparently.

Jason and Tim were completely alone in this time travel mess.

"Haha," Jason bites after an awkward silence. "Very funny."

"Wasn't a joke, Jason," Barbara says quietly. "We have meetings on occasion."

Jason runs a hand through his hair. "So I guess Brucey knows I'm home, huh?"

"He's known almost as long as I have, Jason. It's hard to keep that man away from his son."

Jason let's Barbara's words was over him. He considers hanging up the phone right there. Bringing up the family was almost too painful for him to bear.

"Barbara, this isn't what I called to talk about," Jason reminds Barbara gently. "I want to know about Tim, remember?"

"Right, right," Barbara mumbles. "It's too much for over the phone. Too personal. And on the note, we really should use codenames, by the way."

"Anything for you, B," Jason says. "Now come on, if you can't tell me over the phone, how are you going to get the details?"

"I'll send you the file, I hacked your email months ago," Barbara drawls. 

"Jesus, B," Jason groans. "Just send it already."

"I just did," Barbara replies. "And the bat is B, Jaybird. You can call me Oracle."

And with that, the line goes dead. Jason is left standing with his phone still pressed to his ear, wondering how and when his pseudo older sister became such a badass.

-

After Barbara hangs up, Jason grabs himself a drink. He can hardly be expected to handle investigating his soulmate sober, after all.

He logs into his email from his laptop, while sipping on a warm bottle of Budweiser.

Jason opens the file with one shaky click of his mouse. He's nervous, though he doesn't really know why.

The file is routine bat stuff, updated with Bruce's obsessive notes, Alfred's perfect syntax, and Barbara's insightful comments. There's no trace of Dick's input though, which was unsettling, to say the least.

Jason sends a silent prayer to a god that he no longer believes in, in the hopes it will keep his older brother safe.

As Jason digs into the file, he fleshes out his understanding of Tim.

Timothy Jackson Drake, born right at the end of the millennium, making him just barely eighteen. Tim is the son of the deceased Jack and Janet Drake. The file doesn't say how or when they died, but it does say that Tim was already an emancipated minor when his parents passed away. As the sole heir to Drake Industries, Tim is extremely wealthy, though he sold all of his stake in the company to Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne, who is listed as being Tim's godfather. Which Jason finds hilarious, because Bruce was probably the least god-fearing man on the upper side of Gotham.

Of course, the file also contains information about Tim's vigilante identity. Tim has been Robin since the age of fourteen, taking over almost exactly a year after Jason's death. Tim is skilled in several types of martial arts, is trained in both archery and sword combat, and has computer skills that outrank the bat himself.

Jason would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed.

A file can only tell you so much about a person, though. So Jason finishes his beer, and decided to give his replacement a call.


	9. Ironic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Haiku:  
> Updates are random  
> And for that I am so sorry  
> I'm inconstent

Tim feels like he's going to die. Or, if he isn't, he sort of wishes that he would. Instead of dying, though, he sits on his bed in the manor and starts typing up a case file on his laptop, a weak attempt to distract himself from his many woes.

Tim hasn't seen a time traveling version of Jason in weeks, and he hasn't heard from the current one in days.

Barbara told Tim last week that Jason had asked for his file. And yet, no contact. Total radio silence.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

Tim eventually gives up on his case file, and checks his phone instead. It's just another disappointment.

In the hopes of eating his way through his misery, Tim abandons his computer and slinks out of his room. He checks his watch, and tiptoes his way down to the kitchen, on the hunt for a midnight snack.

The kitchen provides Tim with a treat more delightful than anything he was looking for.

There, with his back to Tim at the breakfast bar, sits Jason Todd.

"Jason?" Tim whispers across the silent kitchen.

Jason turns around and grins at Tim. 

"Hey baby bird," Jason mutters around a mouthful of ice cream. "Didn't know how long I'd be there, didn't want to wake you up."

Tim smiles in return. "We both know I never sleep."

"True, Timmy," Jason agrees, "oh, how true."

Tim closes the gap between them, and stands in front of Jason. The younger man examines the other's face, taking in every tiny detail.

"How old are you tonight?" Tim asks.

After finishing his bowl of ice cream, Jason lets out a chuckle and says simply says "guess."

Tim squints. He studies Jason's face once more, and then shrugs.

"Well," Tim begins, "I'd say with the healthy dose of facial hair and the absence of one tattoo, you're twenty six."

"Oh so close, Timmy," Jason laughs, "so very close. Twenty seven."

Tim smirks. "Must be early on in that year, hmm?"

Jason shrugs in return. "My birthday was last week."

"Well, happy birthday, you old man," Tim teases.

"You know how old I am, but I still have no idea how old you are, gorgeous," Jason flirts easily.

"Oh, stop," Tim blushes. "I'm eighteen. Nineteen, soon."

Jason blanches.

"What's the matter?" Tim asks, seeing Jason's face.

"Nothing, nothing," Jason assures him. "It just means we haven't...nothing. Nothing."

Tim turns redder than his Robin uniform.

"Jesus, Jason," Tim says, "way to be subtle."

Jason throws his hands up. "I'm sorry! Just telling the truth."

Tim rolls his eyes. "So, when does it happen, anyways?"

"Don't you like surprises, Timothy?" Jason drawls.

"You're the worst," Tim groans. "You could help me out a little bit, I haven't heard from the current version of you in forever."

Jason quirks an eyebrow. "Wait, how old are we?"

Tim sighs. "I'm eighteen, you're twenty one. I think, anyways."

"Shit," Jason mumbles. "This is the one where I get stuck for a while, I think."

Tim pales. "How long is a while?"

"It's a couple of weeks, Tim," Jason says. "I mean, I end up okay obviously, it just sucks."

"Yeah," Tim says, detached.

"Hey, Tim," Jason says, "things are going to be okay. Look, I'm here, right?"

Tim wipes the tears that threaten to fall from his eyes and nods furiously. "Right. Duh! Time travel and all that shit."

"You already know how it goes, anyways." Jason reminds Tim.

"Oh," Tim says. "He's visiting younger me?"

"Yeah," says. "It's the one with the diner, I'm pretty sure. It was more fun for you than me, I think. But don't worry, I'm sure your Jason misses you terribly."

Tim shakes his head. "No, no, it's not like that. Not yet."

Jason squints. "Oh, damn it, I forgot. This is right after the truck, right?"

Tim nods.

Jason motions the younger man to come closer and wraps Tim in his arms.

"It's going to be fine, baby bird," Jason whispers into Tim's ear.

"I know but-"

Tim's words are cut off by a bang, and suddenly, Jason is gone.

"Holy aluminum, Batman," Tim mumbles to himself, "foiled again."

And so Tim treks back up to his bedroom, and wishes his Jason, or any Jason, really, would appear right in his bedroom.

But hey, you can't always get what you want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, how I love a good Robin pun.


	10. Time Warp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's do the Tme Warp againnnn !

One minute, Jason is in his apartment with a phone in hand, and the next, he's in a booth in a diner.

A shitty diner, at that. One that seemed strangely familiar.

Jason looks around, and inspects the posters and memorabilia on the walls. It takes him longer than he's willing to admit that this is the place that Bruce used to take him to after patrols.

Then Jason looks across the booth to see a young boy in a red hoodie smirking at him.

"Long time, no see," the boy says.

"Tim?" Jason asks hesitantly.

"That's what they call me," Tim answers with a grin. "It's been a while."

Jason shakes his head. "For you, maybe."

"You been doing a lot of traveling?" Tim asks.

"No, actually," Jason responds. "It's only my second trip."

Tim looks surprised at Jason's statement. "Wow, and I haven't seen you in over a year. I'm officially a teenager now, the big one-three."

"This is so weird," Jason whines, holding his head in his hands.

"You get used to it." Tim says with a shrug of his shoulders. "You know what's weirder though?"

"What?" Jason asks.

"You've never told me your last name."

Jason laughs. "That's the thing that's weird to you?"

"Yeah," Tim says, "but I've got a perfectly reasonable explanation for why exactly I find that strange."

"Well, explain it then," Jason insists. 

"No," Tim bites back, "tell me your last name first."

Jason laughs again. "Fine, kid. It's Todd. What gives?"

Tim scrunches his eyebrows together and reaches into the pocket of his hoodie. He pulls a crumpled newspaper clipping out and slides it across the table.

"What gives, Jason Todd," Tim whispers, "is that this newspaper says you shouldn't be time traveling throughout your long and peculiar life. It says that you should be dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has favorite comic books (or graphic novels, or tv shows, or fics too, I suppose) that include young Tim Drake pLEASE comment suggestions. I don't want to get his characterization completely wrong! I've seen lots of Batman: TAS but let me know if you know of any other good young-Tim source material! Thanks in advance!


End file.
